RonF Posted May 4, 2006 Report Share Posted May 4, 2006 Bill Gates Wishes He Weren't So Rich The corporate leader says he doesn't like the attention of being the world's richest man. May 4, 2006: 3:40 PM EDT REDMOND, Wash. (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates said Wednesday he wished he were not the world's richest man. "I wish I wasn't. There is nothing good that comes out of that," said Gates, whose personal fortune sank by billions since last week when the software giant disappointed investors by saying new investments would crimp earnings. The corporate leader who made Microsoft into the world's largest software maker - and who is also one of the biggest philanthropists - is seen as a man who does not like publicity. He explained that he did not like the attention of being the world's richest person. "You get more visibility as a result of it," he said during an interview conducted by CNBC reporter Donny Deutsch in front of a crowd of people attending a Microsoft advertising event. The Microsoft co-founder said that the person he learned most from in the world, aside from technology colleagues, was fellow-billionaire and legendary investor Warren Buffett. "He has this very refreshing, simple way of looking at things so I put him top of the list," said Gates, adding that the top lesson from Buffett was the importance of integrity. Still, Gates joked about his plight being unequaled in wealth. Asked if he surrounded himself with financial peers, he quipped, "No, I sit alone." Gates has been the richest man in the world for eight years running - since 1998 - and was worth $90 billion at his fortune's peak in 1999, according to the Forbes list of richest people. His fortune is currently at $50 billion, according to the magazine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connoisseur series500 Posted May 5, 2006 Report Share Posted May 5, 2006 Wonder if $$1 feels the same way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christiern Posted May 5, 2006 Report Share Posted May 5, 2006 Being that rich is easier to undo than to accomplish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster_Ties Posted May 5, 2006 Report Share Posted May 5, 2006 If I ever won the lottery BIG, I'd try to keep it a secret. Might buy a new car, but it'd be something like a Prius. Sure wouldn't move into a bigger house. (But I sure would buy a shitload of OOP music off eBay. ) I'd imagine that among those that are REALLY rich, the ones who hide it best are the happiest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connoisseur series500 Posted May 5, 2006 Report Share Posted May 5, 2006 Being that rich is easier to undo than to accomplish. Thus the "pressure" of being rich. There is an overwhelming responsibility to "manage" the money. It's like being chained to an iron ball, I bet. It seems that rich people are seldom happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe G Posted May 5, 2006 Report Share Posted May 5, 2006 No one in life gets a free ride. Pain is the great equalizer, and everyone, rich or poor, beautiful or not, experiences their share. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzmoose Posted May 5, 2006 Report Share Posted May 5, 2006 Yeah, but I still have to wonder if the pain of being "noticed" is as bad as say, the pain of going to bed hungry every night... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catesta Posted May 5, 2006 Report Share Posted May 5, 2006 Yeah, but I still have to wonder if the pain of being "noticed" is as bad as say, the pain of going to bed hungry every night... Word. Excuse me Bill if I don't cry for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceH Posted May 6, 2006 Report Share Posted May 6, 2006 Being that rich is easier to undo than to accomplish. Thus the "pressure" of being rich. There is an overwhelming responsibility to "manage" the money. It's like being chained to an iron ball, I bet. It seems that rich people are seldom happy. Yeah, my heart bleeds. Rich people love to make the rest of think their riches make them miserable. Don't you believe it. Most of them are having a grand old time. They love to manage money, they love to spend money, and the famous ones, by and large, love the attention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzypaul Posted May 8, 2006 Report Share Posted May 8, 2006 Well, I can understand the not wanting the attention part. Especially if you built a company that you thought you could just hide behind. Not that I feel bad for him at all, but at least he's turned into one of the better rich guys around. You don't see the Wal-Mart owners giving away their billions the way that Bill does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe G Posted May 8, 2006 Report Share Posted May 8, 2006 I guess another truism is that no one likes a complainer. :rsly: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soul Stream Posted May 8, 2006 Report Share Posted May 8, 2006 Like Jimi Hendrix said..."Sometimes, the more money you have, the more blues you can play." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregN Posted May 8, 2006 Report Share Posted May 8, 2006 Being that rich is easier to undo than to accomplish. Thus the "pressure" of being rich. There is an overwhelming responsibility to "manage" the money. It's like being chained to an iron ball, I bet. It seems that rich people are seldom happy. You don't own things...things own you. Some of my best friends are rich. Most are also heavily medicated. Anybody read the book, Remains of The Day? Sometimes the money itself becomes the master. g Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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